


Protected

by Mwuuh



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: Implied/Referenced Character Death, Loss, M/M, Open Marriage, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 01:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16800568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mwuuh/pseuds/Mwuuh
Summary: Zin'jalli the troll warrior has protected his loved ones his entire life, and must deal with the fact that he can't always do so when his boyfriend Guntrak leaves to fight for the Horde in Arathi Highlands.





	Protected

Zin'jalli didn't really know when he first decided he was going to be a protector. He'd always felt protective over the people he cared about, as well as of those unable to fend for themselves. If he could protect them, he would. No matter how badly hurt he'd be in the process.

His sister Rei'jalli said that the earliest memory she could remember was Zin'jalli protecting her from something. She didn't remember who or what this "something" was, nor indeed whether it was actually something dangerous, but she remembered her brother, only six years old, standing staunchly in front of her, his arms spread wide and his hands clenched, his entire body trembling with fear, and him telling the danger to stay away. Rei'jalli didn't remember what he'd said word for word, but that wasn't due to a bad memory; Zin'jalli had been shouting through tears and sobs, and whatever had come out had been unintelligible.

For some reason, Zin'jalli didn't remember this event at all, despite being the older of the two.

Growing up as the oldest brother of a constantly growing family did nothing to suppress Zin'jalli's need to protect his loved ones. He would often get in trouble by going after people twice his size. If someone had made his younger siblings cry, Zin'jalli would go after these bullies by himself, and he'd often end up a bloody pulp.

His mothers tried to teach him when to pick his battles, but it never really seemed to sink in.

He could not, would not, remain standing and watch someone get picked on.

His desire to protect his loved ones overcame any fear he'd ever faced. He was willing to die for his loved ones. If he died knowing his loved ones were safe, he'd embrace death willingly.

* * *

This part of him never left him. He'd become less impulsive, less volatile, and more willing to talk things through before throwing punches, but he'd always feel that burning need to defend people who couldn't do it themselves. (Sometimes even then.)

When he finally joined the army as a fully trained warrior, he'd receive several stern lectures about doing as he was told rather than go after his own moral compass; if his sergeant said to retreat, he would retreat, and _not_ attempt to save just one more person. Despite Zin'jalli's entire body protesting, he did eventually manage to obey.

Here, serving in the army, he'd see death everywhere. People he'd laughed with just the day before. Fellow soldiers who'd patted his back and told him he did a good job. Civilians who had been doing their daily chores. Death didn't care about these people. Death didn't discriminate.

It wore on his sanity. He knew he wouldn't be able to save everyone. Nobody expected him to, and yet he felt as if he had disappointed everyone. The names of those he failed to protect stayed with him for years afterwards.

Kaza.

Rozan.

Samrak.

Marisha. Bert. Ganzok. Bailey. Samson. Ragna. Beryt...

* * *

"Guntrak."

"Yeh?"

"Do you want to be my boyfriend?"

Zin'jalli felt sheepish saying it so bluntly. As if he were a stuttering teenager about to ask the most popular kid out on a date. Still, he watched the man for his response.

Guntrak grinned back at him, his eyes glinting with humour. "Oi thought Oi already was," he said, his accent thick and charming as ever. "Oi'd love teh."

With a glee he hadn't felt in a long, long while, Zin'jalli wrapped his arms around Guntrak and buried his face in the massive orc's shoulder. The sand beneath their feet shifted continuously, the small ocean waves occasionally nipping at their feet.

The two of them kept walking along the beach, holding hands and talking. Guntrak had just returned home from the front, and Zin'jalli had been unable to contain his joy. Upon seeing his huge figure approach from the distance, Zin'jalli had run towards him and flinged himself into his arms before placing a loving kiss right on his lips. The taste of familiarity had made him melt in Guntrak's embrace.

Like Zin'jalli's scarred left eye, Guntrak had returned home with a gruesome scar across his right eye. The eye itself had been spared, luckily, but it was clear that Guntrak had seen some horrors out on the front.

But, like Zin'jalli, Guntrak was alive.

When Guntrak had to return to the front two weeks later, Zin'jalli felt like he was dying.

"Please don't leave..."

With great effort, Zin'jalli kept his voice steady as he pleaded for his beloved to stay. He could feel his heart breaking into pieces, and it was all he could do not to grip dramatically at his chest to make it stop hurting.

"Oi have teh, Zin."

Guntrak didn't look much happier about this. He stood ready to leave at any moment, geared in armour padding. He held Zin'jalli's hands, which kept squeezing his fingers desperately, as if it'd make him stay if only he kept a strong enough grip.

"I know, but please don't leave," Zin'jalli begged, his voice breaking. "Please stay with me. I can't stand the thought of you being out there. You'll be safe with me. Please..."

The tears started rolling down his face, and Zin'jalli couldn't keep eye contact anymore. He inclined his head and he sobbed. Before long, Guntrak had wrapped his arms around him and held him close until he'd stopped shaking.

Face still wet from the tears, Zin'jalli looked up at his boyfriend. Guntrak smiled humourlessly. Zin'jalli knew he truly didn't want to leave, but it was his duty as a soldier, as a member of the Horde, as an orc.

"Ye know wot keeps me going is the thought of comin' back to ye, Zin," he murmured softly. It was a comforting sound and Zin'jalli felt himself relax in the embrace. "An' if everythin' goes roight, Oi'll be back before ye know it."

With his right hand he brushed away tears from Zin'jalli's cheek, though it was a wasted effort; the tears kept rolling.

Zin'jalli sniffled a bit, still holding onto Guntrak, determined to hold him for as long as possible. Through an unsteady voice, he muttered: "I love you, Gunny."

Guntrak looked taken aback, his mouth opening for a moment before it grew into a soft smile. He leaned down to leave a gentle kiss on Zin'jalli's tear-stained face.

"Oi love ye, too, Zin."

Laughter escaped Zin'jalli's lips. Laughter of relief. Laughter of joy. Laughter of many emotions, not all of them positive. He tightened his grip around Guntrak's massive body, and he felt warm and safe when Guntrak returned the embrace.

Zin'jalli had spent his entire life protecting the ones he loved. He constantly feared that he'd be unable to keep them from danger. When Guntrak was away, Zin'jalli felt perpetually on edge, terrified that something would happen to him. When Karzog was on missions with the Hand by himself, Zin'jalli was unable to sleep at night, keeping a tight grip on the talisman to keep tabs on him. Whenever he wasn't able to be there to protect them, he felt helpless.

It never occurred to him that someone might feel the same about him.

That there were people who would sacrifice their life for him, that there were people who'd do anything to keep him safe. There were several people in his life who would go through hell to protect him from harm, but Zin'jalli didn't realise it until this very moment.

Here, in Guntrak's arms, for the very first time in his life, he felt safe. He felt protected.

It felt wonderful.


End file.
